


Cards in the Air

by Gray Cardinal (Gray_Cardinal)



Category: Castle, Murder She Wrote, NCIS
Genre: Gen, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-11-19
Updated: 2011-11-19
Packaged: 2017-10-26 06:45:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/279956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gray_Cardinal/pseuds/Gray%20Cardinal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There are two new players -- and a twist -- in Castle's poker game.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cards in the Air

**Author's Note:**

  * For [malnpudl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/malnpudl/gifts).



> Written for malnpudl in the [2011 Fall Fanfic Free-For-All.](http://oxoniensis.livejournal.com/489753.html)
> 
>  **Castle** is the creation of Andrew W. Marlowe and the Castleverse belongs (more or less) to ABC Studios. **NCIS** is the creation of Don Bellisario and Don McGill and belongs (more or less) to Belisarius Productions, CBS, and their corporate friends and relations. Further disclaimers regarding other characters, fictional and otherwise, appearing herein will be supplied at the end, because this is that kind of story. And because this is that kind of story, you should assume that all of the characters appearing herein are doing so on their virtual days off, and that anything they say and do may or may not match what would happen in either the relevant source canon or the Real World.

**Washington, DC**

Richard Castle’s signing hand abruptly froze in mid-air, and he tilted his head thoughtfully sideways.  “Don’t I know you from somewhere?”

The fan heading the line of autograph-seekers, a sandy-haired man in a gray tweed sport coat, shrugged.  “I’m sure I’d remember if we’d met.”

His companion thwacked him lightly on the shoulder, deftly arching her wrist to avoid shredding the tweed with her spiked leather bracelet.  “Now, Tim!” she said severely.  “You told me his publisher’s booth was right across from yours at that conference this summer, and you were both signing at the exact same time!”

“That doesn’t count as _meeting_ ,” Tim said.  “The Black Pawn booth was mobbed pretty much the whole time he was there.”

Castle’s eyebrows went up.  “You were at BEA?  Across from Black Pawn?”  He snapped his fingers.  “Of course.  You’re Thom E. Gemcity, the _Deep Six_ series.  My mother devours those books.”

McGee blinked.  “She does?  I mean, that’s great,” he said, dodging another thwack from Abby as he set a second copy of Castle’s book on the table.  “Anyway, this copy should be to Abby, and the other’s for Sarah-with-an-h.”

“Two lady friends?” Castle asked, smiling.  “You’re a brave man, Thom.”

McGee’s face went pink.  “Sarah’s my sister.”

“And I’m not,” Abby put in.  “His sister, I mean.  Or his lady friend – well, not exactly, because I’m most definitely his friend, and I am a lady, but—”

“Abby!” McGee told her.  “Breathe.  I knew that second Caf-Pow was a mistake,” he added under his own breath.

Castle merely chuckled, inscribed both books, and plucked a card from his pocket. He handed the card to McGee.  “If you’re ever in New York, call.  There’s a monthly poker game...”

#

**New York, NY**

The door opened to reveal a beaming Richard Castle.  “Thom Gemcity!  I wasn’t sure you’d make it.”

Timothy McGee hoped his own smile didn’t betray his nervousness.  “Tim is fine, thanks.  ‘Thom’ is for the readers.”

“Tim it is, then,” Castle said agreeably, leading him into the apartment.  “Almost everyone else is here; let me introduce you around.”  McGee glanced at the group clustered next to the breakfast bar and restrained a gulp.  Every one was instantly recognizable from their jacket photos – and from their regular appearances atop the major bestseller lists.

“Don’t let them intimidate you,” said Dennis Lehane, nodding toward the others as he shook McGee’s hand.  “I cleaned Jim’s clock last month on a stone cold bluff, and Connelly there is only dangerous when he’s not bluffing.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” McGee said, tilting his own head toward the compact white-haired man who stood off to one side nursing a drink.  “What about him?”

“Cussler?  Him, you watch out for,” said Lehane.  “We only see him two or three times a year, when he’s visiting his publishers – which is just as well, because he’s damned good.  When he was here in August, he pretty much ran us all out of Dodge.”

“True,” James Patterson agreed.  “But a week later, he sent everyone who’d been in the game a case of tequila and a lobster-gram.”  He turned toward Castle.  “Are we about ready to get started?”

Castle frowned.  “Five more minutes.  I’m hoping for—”  A rapping at the door interrupted him.  “Ah, there we are.  Let me just get that.”

He suited action to word, and grinned as a stylishly dressed older woman stepped briskly into the room.  “Aunt Jess!  Glad you could come.”

McGee let out a startled breath, echoing his host’s words.  “Aunt Jess?”

Lehane looked equally surprised.  “I had no idea—”

Patterson cocked an eyebrow at Castle, then stepped forward.  “Welcome aboard, Mrs. Fletcher,” he said, smiling.  “This is most definitely a pleasure.”

But Jessica’s eyes were elsewhere.  “Why, Timothy McGee!” she said, her tone half pleased, half puzzled.  “It’s been positively years.”

“Almost fourteen,” said McGee.  “I was still in school.”

Castle stared at McGee, then at Jessica, then back at McGee.  “I do not believe this.  I absolutely do not believe this.  You do realize what this means, don’t you?”

“That we’re some kind of cousins?”  McGee blinked.  “That’s – kind of scary, actually.”

“No, that is totally cool.  I’m related to the brilliant author Thom E. Gemcity.  Mother will be completely thrilled.”

Jessica’s eyebrows went up.  “Thom E. Gemcity?  The _Deep Six_ thrillers?  That’s you, Timothy?”

McGee nodded, still dazed.  “My pen name.  The agency insisted I use one for security reasons.  NCIS,” he added.  “I’m a special agent.”

Both Patterson and Connelly looked intrigued, but it was the white-haired man – Clive Cussler – who stepped forward.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” he said, “but if we’re all here, I believe it’s time to begin.”

Jessica gave Castle a severe look.  “This is one of your poker gatherings, then?  I don’t believe you mentioned that when you invited me over.”

“Now, Aunt Jess,” Castle said, “as long as you’re here, you really ought to join us.  You know I’m happy to stake you—”

“That, as you know very well, is not the issue,” Jessica told him, clearly torn between annoyance and amusement.

Patterson broke the brief, awkward silence that followed.  “If there’s anything we can do to accommodate you,” he said, “we’d be happy to oblige.”

Jessica studied him thoughtfully for a moment, then regarded the group with a distinctly mischievous expression.  “If you’re serious about that,” she said, “then I’ll join your game this once – on one condition.”

“Name it,” Castle said.

“Just this,” Jessica told him cheerfully.  “At the end of the night, every penny in the game goes to charity.”

The male authors all looked at each other – and Connelly grinned.  “I believe we’ve been hustled, gentlemen.  Well played, Mrs. Fletcher.”

Castle spread his arms wide.  “Very well, then.  As they say in Vegas, let’s get the cards in the air.”

#

_[to be continued]_

# # #

 

**Author's Note:**

> I promise, I'll get the rest of this up ASAP....


End file.
